Nothing Sweeter
by mirastel
Summary: Years back, she was insulted and humiliated by the socialites of the Upper East Side. Now, she has returned with a new attitude and a new purpose: to get revenge on everyone who ruined her.


Hi everybody

**Hi everybody! Now, I know my other stories are updated really slowly, but I've suddenly got this addiction to Gossip Girl which needs to be fulfilled. Now, I must warn you: THIS STORY HAS LITTLE IF NOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BOOKS OR THE SHOW!! I may steal a fact here or there, but basically this is going to revolve around one of my own characters. The rating may change, based on how intensely I'm going to follow this. I don't want to give too much away now, but here is a quick summary:**

_**Years back, she was insulted and humiliated by the socialites of the Upper East Side. Now, she has returned with a new attitude and a new purpose: to get revenge on everyone who ruined her. With her looks and personality, she threatens to turn the entire hierarchy of the social scene upside down. **_

_**Pairings: Well that would just give everything away! **_

**Be gentle: it is the first time I'm trying this for a book! No nasty reviews, please. CONSTRUCTIVE (key word there) criticism is appreciated. Also, any guesses or ideas for plot would be great!**

**Chapter 1: The Prologue**

_It is the end of summer. Serena, Blair, Nate, Chuck, Dan, and Vanessa are all entering their sophomore years at their respective schools. Serena has already gone off to boarding school, and Vanessa will be appearing in name only for a short time. The word on the streets is all about the big party that Chuck Bass is hosting. Of course, the party isn't the news, but rather the fact that everyone (whether you're in the in-crowd or stuck in reject land) is invited. Everyone._

**hey people**

**gossip girl here. Just gearing up for C's party: it's gonna be wild! And I'm sure there will be plenty of juicy gossip to go around afterwards!**

**Saw B and N spending some quality time together by the beach- awww how romantic!**

**C walking home with some unknown girl. Poor thing, she must think she has a chance!**

**D was writing in the park. Probably another dark poem. I heard one once, and I pray I never have to again.**

**It looks like V is trying to get close to J, probably so D will notice her more. I guess she thinks D has gotten over S, but I seriously doubt it.**

**Isn't it sad? Summer is almost over! But school is sure to stir up some good stories, and I'll be there to cover them all!**

**You know you love me.**

**gossip girl**

It was an ordinary day.

Or, at least, it was for Arissa.

She wasn't part of the "in-crowd", and hadn't heard the news on all the latest scandals. She wasn't off gossiping with friends or spending time with boyfriends, or, essentially, all the things the other kids her age were doing.

Nope, she was sitting in the park, under a tree, enjoying the beautiful day.

However, something was on her mind.

_Why is it nobody here seems to like me?_ she though to herself. _Did I ever do anything wrong? Sure, I'm not from around here, but is that it? What am I doing wrong?_

Arissa thought about the girls that were ever popular in the Upper East Side, and compared herself to them.

**Serena van der Woodson: Blonde. Blue eyes. Tall. In other words, gorgeous. When she was here, she was the ultimate It Girl of New York. Now, she's gone, but everyone still talks about her, misses her, knows her name. She is every guys dream, and to top it all, **_**she's nice!**_

**Blair Waldorf: Brunette. Blue Eyes. Medium Height. Very Attractive, but not on the same level of Serena. Most importantly, she's conniving and can get anything she wants. Now that Serena is gone, Blair is free to assume her position as Queen Bee and start using people in the open, instead of behind everyone's backs. **

**Then there was Arissa Rae Sellick. She was tall, with light brown hair and dark eyes. Usually her eyes seemed a navy blue, but often times people would mistake them as green or gray. Truthfully, all these colors were in her eyes, including a small fleck of brown in her left one. Needless to say, her eyes were her best feature. Her face was round, and was eerily perfectly proportioned. Her skin was very pale, and her dark eyes gave her a haunting look. Her lips, which were full and pale rose in color, often parted to reveal straight, white teeth. **

**Beautiful, right?**

**Not so much. Arissa wore her hair to her waist, which not only made her head seem pointed, but was impossible to manage. As a result, it would often frizz up. when it was kept right, it was really quite a sight to see, but Arissa didn't think much of spending hours on getting ready. Second, Arissa wore no makeup and, though her face was naturally beautiful, it made her seem a bit plain. They though her look was "eccentric", not beautiful. **

Arissa sighed. "I'm hopeless" she said to herself. Feeling dejected, she stood up to walk home, when who should appear but Nate Archibald!

Arissa smiled: she and Nate had become great friends since she moved here three years ago. She though he was gorgeous, of course, but felt nothing other than friendship towards him. She waved, and he walked over, smiling as well.

"You going to Chuck's party this Friday?" Nate asked pleasantly. Arissa looked at him with shock in her eyes.

"Why would I go?" she asked him.

"Because you're invited." Nate responded. "Everyone is."

"Oh." said Arissa, surprised. "But, I mean, does he really _want_ everyone there?" Truth to be told, Arissa had never been to a party before. She was too shy.

"Aw, come on!" Nate said. "You're coming."

"I would…but…really I can't…I mean such short notice…" Arissa waved her hands frantically, slowly backing away. But Nate grabbed her wrist before she could run for it.

"You're coming." he said firmly. Them, he relaxed. "Besides, it would do you some good."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Arissa demanded defensively.

"I mean that you should get out more, go hang out with other people rather than staying by yourself all the time." Nate tried to be gentle, but either way it sounded like an insult. "That way, people won't think you're…you know…"

"No, I don't know." snapped Arissa. "Why don't you inform me, Nate?"

"A freak" came a voice, but it wasn't Nate's. Both Arissa and Nate turned to see Blair, standing on the sidewalk, glaring at them. Nate, realizing he was still holding Arissa's wrist, quickly let go. He walked over to Blair and tried to kiss her. However, she turned her head and glared at a tree. Sighing, Nate placed a small peck on her cheek.

"So," began Nate awkwardly, "What brings you here?"

Blared clenched her teeth and turned to glare at him.

"I. Was. Looking. For. You." she said through her teeth. Her eyes blazed with fury.

"Well….you found me!" Nate said in a weak attempt to lighten the mood. Arissa couldn't help herself— a small laugh escaped her.

Blair turned on her. "What's so funny?" she snapped.

"Nothing, nothing." Arissa said, trying (and failing) to conceal a grin. "You're face is just priceless."

Blair walked slowly towards Arissa. She came until her face was right near hers. By this time, Arissa had stopped laughing and was standing rigidly, watching Blair's face intently.

"You better watch your step Sellick." Blair whispered in her face. Though Arissa was taller, Blair seemed to be towering over her. "You are a nobody, do you hear me? No one would care if I ruined your life, which I'm perfectly capable of doing." Arissa's eyes flicked downward for a spilt second to Blair's thin wrist, on which dangled a delicate gold bracelet. Blair noticed.

She smirked. "You can look at it all you want, you know you'll never get one. You just don't have enough money. And neither does anyone in your worthless family. At least, none of the ones left." she sneered. Arissa's eyes went from being fearful to stone cold.

"Get off me, bitch." she said, pushing Blair roughly aside. Arissa stalked past Nate, and he saw a glimmer of tears in her.

Blair stood watching the girl's retreating back without smiling. She knew she had sunk to a new low. She knew that she should never have said that. Arissa's mother and father had died in a car crash three years before. Her brother had also been in the crash, but he had survived…barely. He suffered major injuries, and now had to stay at home with a full-time nurse to look out for him. That was why Arissa had moved to New York, after all. Her cousin had recently graduated from college, and was willing to look after the girl.

Arissa had only ever told Nate this, but Blair managed to get the dirt out of him. She had to swear never to mention it to Arissa, though, because she wasn't supposed to know in the first place. But she had broken that promise.

"What did you say to her?" Nate asked furiously.

"Why do you care?" retorted Blair. Frankly, she was tired of being second in Nate's life. But to have him be more concerned about _Arissa_? That was just too much.

"Blair, she's my friend! They do exist you know, whether you have them or not!" Nate yelled at her. Blair's eyes widened. How could he have just said that?

"Fine. Okay. I get it." Blair sniffed. She turned on her heel and began to walk away.

"No—wait—Blair! I'm sorry, okay?" he said, grabbing her shoulders and spinning her around. "I didn't mean it. I was just…worried about Arissa."

"It's all about her, isn't it?" Blair asked softly. "Ever since she came here you've been getting more and more distant. Do you not care about me anymore, or do you care about her more?"

"Blair, you are the most important person in my life. Don't ever forget that. But Arissa's had a hard life, and I'm trying to be there for her. Don't you understand? Can't you be a little sympathetic?" Nate pleaded with Blair. He didn't want to lose her.

Blair looked into his eyes. "Okay." she agreed. Anything for Nate, to keep him around.

The two kissed softly on the lips, and went to have lunch together, talking excitedly about the upcoming party.

……………………………

Arissa was walking quickly. But she didn't know where to. All she could think was that Nate had betrayed her. He had told Blair, the one person who she specifically wanted not to know. Blair had everything she didn't: money, popularity, a great boyfriend, everything!

_He told her._

_He told her._

She had thought Nate was someone she could trust. Guess not.

_He told her._

_He told her._

Arissa kept walking, looking down as she went. When her tears began to blind her, she hastily wiped them away. Sadly, at that point someone else was walking in the opposite direction as her, also looking down.

"Ouch!" Arissa cried as she and the stranger collided.

The stranger was a boy about her age. He had dark hair and dark eyes. He had dropped a pad of paper and a pencil. He had been looking down at the pad, scribbling quickly into it.

"I'm sorry about that." Arissa said, rubbing her head. The boy did the same.

"Whatever. Don't worry about it." he mumbled, hastily trying to pick up his dropped items.

"Let me help you with tha—."

"No!" the boy said sharply. Arissa was taken aback. Tears began to well up again in her eyes. _Does no one like me?_

"No—don't cry." the boy said hastily. "Look, I'm sorry—I'm just in a rush."

"It seems like everyone in this damn place always has somewhere better to be!" spat Arissa, her tears drying on the spot. "It makes me sick sometimes to hear people talk about all the cool parties they have to go to, or all the important people they have to meet. To hell with them!" she yelled. Arissa's words shocked her as well. She didn't normally say things like that, and she didn't know what had gotten into her.

The boy, however, looked impressed. "I feel the same way." he told her.

"Y-you do?" Arissa asked.

"Yeah" he said, nodding his had vigorously. "I'm Dan, Dan Humphrey."

"I'm Arissa, Arissa Sellick."

"Great to meet you Arissa." said Dan earnestly. "Hey, do you want to go get something to eat, or…something?" he asked.

"I though you had somewhere to be." retorted Arissa. Dan just waved it off.

"Nah, I just didn't want to talk to you." He brushed off the comment.

"Excuse me?" asked Arissa, insulted.

"What? Can't I change my mind?" asked Dan.

Arissa shrugged. "Okay, whatever you say."

"Great, then let's go!" said Dan, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her along.

…………………………..

"What is this place?" asked Arissa. It was a small little café, with scattered tables and a bar loaded with people. But it was cozy and well lit, and Arissa kind of liked it.

"It's called Rubi's" answered Dan. "Not as fancy as some of the other places, but I like it."

The two grabbed a table and sat down. For a few moments it was pretty awkward, as neither of them knew what to say.

"So.." began Arissa, "what were you writing in that book?"

Dan grinned nervously. "Just some…uh…poetry."

"Really?" asked Arissa. "Can I read it?"

"I'll read it to you!" said Dan, pulling out his pad.

"Uh, okay." responded Arissa.

He pulled out his black pad of paper and cleared his throat. Arissa squirmed a little in her seat, not exactly knowing what to expect.

Dan began to read:

**The Abyss**

**Dark.**

**Cold. **

**Alone.**

**Never ending, hope dies.**

**Stranded, you fall.**

**The daylight fading away,**

**The tears no one will see,**

**The memories of your past**

**Haunt you.**

**You cannot escape.**

Dan paused and looked up at Arissa. Her eyes were wide and glued on him. Her hands clenched the edge of the table. She was enthralled.

"Amazing" she breathed.

Dan blushed slightly. "Not really, I haven't finished it yet." he mumbled.

"I think it's perfect" Arissa insisted, her eyes never leaving his face. "I…I know exactly how you must have felt writing it."

Dan looked up at her, shocked. "You…do?" he asked. Arissa nodded, now staring at her hands, which were shaking. Dan felt awkward, but did the only thing that came to mind. He softly placed one of his hands on top of hers. "You want to talk about it?" he asked kindly.

Arissa shook her head. She looked up, her eyes glassy. She forced a rusted smile. "I'm fine."

Dan stared at her. She really was pretty, in an odd sort of way. Her eyes were her best feature; rimmed with a soft gray, they gradually darkened to a dark blue. Around the pupils was a greenish-yellow color, and a speck of brown crossed the iris on her left eye. If she only wore something to highlight those eyes…

Arissa looked quizzically at Dan. "Is everything okay?" she asked. He didn't respond. She waved her hand in front of his face. "Earth to Dan! Dan! Hey! Wake up!"

Dan shook his head, then blushed; he realized he had been staring.

"So, anyways," he said awkwardly, rubbing his neck with his hand. Luckily, the sound of the café door opening gave him an excuse to look away. It was even more convenient that the person happened to be looking for him.

Jenny Humphrey stomped over to the table and sat down in a huff.

"Why doesn't Blair like me?!" she cried after a moment. Arissa snorted her disapproval. Jenny, who hadn't noticed Arissa, snapped her head up.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Arissa. And you are?" Arissa replied coolly.

"I'm Jenny." Jenney said.

"She's my sister" explained Dan to Arissa. "Why are you here?" he asked Jenny.

"I just told you" said Jenny, rolling her eyes. "I came here because Blair didn't want to hang out. Why doesn't she like me?!" she repeated, dropping her head into her hands.

"She's not worth your time." said Arissa, rising. "Trust me." Her mood had darkened at the mention of Blair.

"Where are you going?" asked Dan. Arissa had pushed in her chair and was preparing to go.

"I have to leave now, but it was nice meeting you, Dan." she stressed his name, purposely leaving Jenny out. The blond noticed.

"Can I—do you wanna, like, hang out or something later this week?" Dan asked.

Arissa smiled. "Sure." she answered. She walked out the door.

"Nice one, Dan." laughed Jenny.

"What?" Dan snapped.

"Well, how do you expect to call her if you don't know her number?"

…………………………….

"So, are _you_ going to Chuck's party Friday?" asked Arissa.

Dan stared at her. She genuinely thought he might go. He shook his head slowly. "Why, are you?"

After Arissa had left Rubi's, Dan had run after her to get her number. He had been humiliated, but Arissa had just laughed it off and assured him she did the same thing all the time. Dan had offered to walk her home, which she accepted.

When they reached her cousin's apartment, the two had made plans to hang out again the next day. Instead of going to a dark café, however, Arissa had suggested the park.

Arissa shrugged. "I dunno, I was considering it….but I guess not. I don't want to look stupid there by myself." she replied. Dan saw a bit of disappointment in her face. He took an inward gulp of air and made his decision.

"I'll go with you…if you want." he said.

Arissa's head snapped up. "What? Really?" she said, surprised. Dan nodded. "Ohmygoshthankyousomuch!" said Arissa rapidly. "You know, I've been here three years but I've never gone to a party. Of course, I've never been invited but that's not really the point. But now that I actually know someone who is going to go it'll be amazing!" she gushed in one breath. She beamed up at Dan, who couldn't help smiling (and blushing) a little.

"So, what are you going to wear?" asked Arissa jokingly. Dan considered for a minute.

"Hmm, I was thinking something along the lines of a black mini-skirt and a blue top." he responded sarcastically. "What do you think?"

"I think pink's more your style." Arissa answered. "It would _totally_ compliment your eyes." she batted her eyes when she said that, making Dan laugh.

"Oh no you didn't!" said Dan.

"Oh yes I did!" Arissa shot back.

Dan lunged, spun her around, and gripped her around the waist. He lifted her up, crying out in fake fear and laughing. Suddenly, she stopped short. Dan turned his head to where she was looking, and his smile left his face.

He gently put her on the ground, and the two faced the unwelcome visitor.

"Oh hello, Nate" said Arissa, spitting out his name.

Nate ignored her and spoke to Dan. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"My friend" answered Arissa. "You know, the kind of people who _don't_ betray your trust?" Nate didn't respond. "Oh, right," said Arissa, smacking herself on the head. "I forgot. You have a little trouble grasping that concept, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?" snapped Nate.

"Don't act so innocent" Arissa spat. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"For the last time I have no fucking idea what the hell you're talking about!" Nate yelled. "And who the hell is this guy?!" he said, pointing at Dan.

Poor Dan had no idea what was going on. All he knew was that the look in Arissa's eye scared him, but he felt that he should stay with her, since Nate was obviously someone she would like to kill with that look.

"I'm Dan Humphrey" Dan said simply. What else could he say? Sure, he and Nate went to the same school, but they had never talked, and he wasn't sure if he really wanted to start.

"Well…what are you doing here?" Nate asked sharply. He had to resist saying _"with Arissa"_.

"Are you deaf, too, Nate?" asked Arissa, who had caught the subtext. "He's my friend, and I _want_ him to be here, got it?"

Nate glared at the two of them, but inside he was confused. _What the hell did Blair say?_

"Well I'm sure you two must be very busy, so I'll just go." Nate said coldly. "Obviously I'm not welcome." he stated, looking directly at Arissa.

Arissa let him walk away at first, but then thought she should at least let him know why she was mad. She turned to follow him

"You want to know why I'm mad at you?" she shouted to him, stopping about ten feet from him. "You want to know why I don't want to speak to you?"

Nate stopped, but didn't turn around.

"Remember yesterday? Remember when Blair came up to me? Well, I'm sure you would love to hear what we talked about." Arissa continued.

_So it was that…_ though Nate

"It seems that Blair somehow knows everything about me and my family! Now isn't that odd, considering _you_ were the _only_ person I told?" Arissa felt the tears coming. "So if you want to blame someone, blame yourself, Nate! I trusted you and you betrayed me!"

Arissa turned on her heel and ran the opposite way, past Dan, who began to follow her, then stopped. He had something to say.

"Nate, you're an ass." he said simply, before running after Arissa.

The words rang true in his ears.

……………………………………..

**hey people!**

**Well, it's been a busy week! Not only gearing up for back to school (now, now, I don't mean actually **_**studying**_**! But the usual pampering a girl requires to deal with the strain of the academic workload!), but also gearing up for Chuck Bass' party! **

**Sightings:**

**D and A hanging out in the park, at a back ally café, practically everywhere! But while D seems to have been struck by Cupid, A is showing no signs of interest…**

**N and B acting a little cool to each other. Hmm, has A anything to do with it?**

**Little J checking the price tags on some Valentino gowns at Bergdorf's…then walking to the fabric store for material of the same color. Be careful J, you wouldn't want to steal those hard working designers' creations, would you?**

**Strange, it seems as if V has dropped off the face of the earth! Not that we'd blame her, now that A has all but practically stolen D's heart!**

**I'll be sure to fill you in on all the juicy details of the party.**

**You know you love me.**

**gossip girl**

…………………………………..

Arissa stood checking her outfit in the mirror. She wore dark denim flare jeans, a three-quarter-length sleeve chocolate brown top with a deep V-neck, and a light pink tank top under her shirt. She had actually tied up her hair and applied a coat of mascara and blush, accentuating her features. She swiped a coat of rich pink lip gloss across her lips and smiled brightly. For the first time in a while, she felt (and looked) pretty.

"Knock knock" came her cousin's voice. He opened the door and Arissa turned to him.

"Hey, Scotty!" she said. Scotty was 25, with messy brown hair and soft brown eyes. He was ruggedly handsome, and inspired crushes in many of the high school girls on the Upper East Side. He and Arissa were very close, and told each other everything.

"Hey, you look great, A!" Scotty said earnestly.

"You really think so?" Arissa turned and studied herself more in the mirror. "Think it's good for a party?"

"A, honestly? Would I steer you wrong?" Scotty asked, lifting his eyebrows. He not only graduated magna cum laude from Stanford, but also had hosted some of the wildest parties on campus. He was an expert.

"Your right." said Arissa.

"Um, Arissa?" Scotty began.

"Hmm?" responded Arissa.

"I, uh, have to talk to you." he said cautiously.

"About what?" asked Arissa.

"Your home."

……………………………

"_What_ is she doing here?" Blair demanded from Chuck.

"What is _who _here?" Chuck replied in his low voice.

"See that girl over there?" Blair said, pointing a perfectly manicured fingernail at Arissa. Chuck eyed her approvingly.

"Oh come on" Blair said, rolling her eyes. "You can't seriously think she's attractive. Why don't you go kick her out?" she suggested.

"Relax" Chuck said smoothly. "This party is for everyone. I think I'll go 'welcome' her." And with that, he walked off to Arissa.

_**Because we know how C goes for the boring, shy, socially inept types, right?**_

Blair 'humphed' and put her hands on her small hips. She was in a forest green velvet mini-dress with black stilettos. The party had started a full hour ago, but she had just gotten there.

_**Fifteen minutes earlier, B, and you would have been walking in with A. Aren't you thankful for that small bit of fortune?**_

Blair walked over to Nate, who was slouching moodily in an armchair. He had been slightly distant ever since he found out what she had said to Arissa. Who cared? Blair knew Nate would get over it, and they would be closer than ever after. And then, after they both went to college, Nate and she would be married and live happily ever after. Or at least, that's what _she_ was planning. But of course Nate felt the same way.

_**Careful B, don't count your boyfriends before they pop the question.**_

"Nate, come on." Blair whined to him. "It's a party, have fun!"

Nate sighed. "Blair, I'm just not in the mood."

Blair sat on the arm of Nate's chair and wrapped an arm around his neck. "Come on," she purred into his ear, "can't you at least make an effort?" He looked at her. She decided to drop her ace in the hole. "For me?" Blair widened her eyes and looked at him pleadingly. Nate sighed and started to stand up.

"Fine" he said reluctantly.

Blair smiled. "Great!" It didn't matter that Nate hadn't been too willing; she had gotten her way, which meant she still had him in her clutches.

Now if only Arissa wasn't there, she'd have the perfect evening.

Blair's eyes scanned the party scene, and fell upon a bright mass of blond hair. For a moment, she though she was seeing Serena, and felt a twinge of pain and shock. But no, this girl was too young and innocent-looking to be Serena.

The girl turned and, seeing Blair, grinned in surprise and happiness. She made a bee-line for Blair, who had no where to escape to.

"Hi! I'm Jenny. You're Blair, I know, but everyone knows that!" the girl beamed nervously. This was her chance to finally become part of the in-crowd. But Blair was less than happy to see her.

"Why are you here?" she spat nastily. Jenny faltered.

"This party is for everyone." she said quietly. "Anyone could come".

"Yes, but that doesn't mean anyone _should_ come." Blair responded. "A perfect example's right over there" she pointed at Arissa, who was looking nervous being talked to by Chuck Bass.

"Hey, that's the girl who hangs out with my brother." Jenny said before she could contain herself. Then, noticing Blair's eyes narrowing, she said, "I mean, I don't like her or anything. She's kind of obnoxious."

Blair began to roll her eyes and walk away, but she stopped herself. Jenny's pathetic attempts to suck up to her might just give here the opportunity she needed to get rid of Arissa once and for all.

"Jenny, what would you do to become like me?" Blair asked sweetly, looking directly into Jenny's eyes.

"Anything." said Jenny immediately. Blair smiled.

_Perfect_

……………………….

Dan stood outside the trendy club where the party was. He could hear the music thumping and see the strobe lights flashing. chuck Bass had spared no expense for the last hurrah of the summer.

Dan paced back and forth. He should have gone in by now, because there was no doubt Arissa was there. He had seen her go in. He had watched her open the door, breath in deeply, and walk in.

But he hadn't followed her.

This was not his element. He was used to being alone, away from the public eye. What was he doing here?

Oh right, he had promised.

Dan kicked the ground in frustration. He couldn't do this. He couldn't go in and pretend to have a good time with a bunch of people who he despised and who despised him.

He turned and walked away.

………………………………..

Arissa was standing by the refreshments table, trying to look like she wasn't horribly out of place. Every once and a while she would take out her phone and text Dan, who had yet to show up. She was alone, she was nervous, and she was miserable.

She was just about to take out her phone again when who should sidle up to her but Chuck Bass himself.

"Hi, I'm Chuck Bass" he said smoothly, holding out his hand for her to shake.

She took it in hers and replied, "Hi, I'm Arissa Sellick. Great party!" She forced a smile.

Chuck smiled to. "It is now." he agreed.

"Why?" asked Arissa.

"Because now I know who you are." Chuck said. Arissa's face turned red and she nervously looked away. _This will be easier than I expected _ thought Chuck.

………………………………..

"Are you ready, Jenny?" asked Blair impatiently.

"Um, I think so." Jenny was holding a sharp pair of scissors Blair had managed to swipe from the kitchen. She was uncomfortable with the plan, but she desperately wanted to be like Blair. Besides, what was wrong with having one person hate you if everyone else loved you, right? And everyone _would_ love her for getting rid of Arissa, right?

"Then what are you waiting for? Go!" ordered Blair. The sooner the better, she thought. Then Nate would focus more on her, and her perfect future would be smooth-sailing.

Jenny readied herself and walked up behind Arissa.

………………………………..

"So what are you doing here by yourself?" asked Chuck. He was leaning on the table with one arm behind Arissa, getting ready for the kill.

"I'm…I'm waiting for someone." Arissa replied.

"Who would that be?"

"My….my boyfriend!" said Arissa quickly. Chuck was gorgeous, but she was getting a bad feeling from hanging around with him.

"Why don't I keep you company until then?" Chuck asked, moving closer.

"Um, th-that's o-kay." said Arissa, backing away. "I'm fine by myself."

Meanwhile, Blair was steadily inching her way closer to Arissa. Jenny stood poised and ready right behind the unsuspecting girl, and was awaiting Blair's signal.

Blair looked at Jenny and nodded, sticking out her foot right behind Arissa.

Jenny reached a shaking hand out towards Arissa's long ponytail. In one swift motion she grabbed the mass of brown hair and snipped it off with the scissors.

Arissa gasped in pain and shock at having her hair wrenched by Jenny's hand. She stumbled backwards and was tripped by Blair's outstretched foot. She crashed to the floor and her hand felt something soft. She held it close to her face.

It was a bundle of light brown hair.

She reached her hand up to her head and felt her hair, drastically shortened. Tears welled up in her eyes. she looked up and saw Blair's triumphant smirk, Chuck's surprised face, Nate's confused and angered look, a crowd of people laughing at her, and Jenny Humphrey torn between regret and joy, with a pair of scissors in her hand.

The tears stopped when she saw Jenny. She stood up with the bundle of hair in her hands, her eyes blazing.

"You little _bitch!_" she screamed, throwing the hair at Jenny. She pushed past the crowd and out the door: hurt, embarrassed, and furious.

Blair turned to watch Arissa hastily exit. Nate was beside her.

"Well, we won't be seeing that one again." she said with a satisfied smile. She put her arms around Nate's neck. "Why don't we go have some fun?"

Nate looked at her with disgust. He pushed her off of him and followed Arissa out the door.

"What's his problem?" she asked Chuck. she looked at his face. "And what's yours?"

"I don't know about Nate," Chuck began, "but you just ruined my fun, Waldorf. You know I don't like to be interrupted."

"Please, like you were really interested in her. You were just bored." Blair said.

"Unlike you, I'm more concerned with making myself happy than with making other people miserable" Chuck snapped, and then went off to find another girl to harass. Blair rolled her eyes and went to dance with her friends.

…………………………….

Nate exited the club and looked for Arissa. He saw her in the distance, heading to the park, through which she would have to walk to get home.

"Arissa! Arissa! ARISSA!" he called her name as he ran to her. But she did not stop. Her tears fell freely and she did not bother to wipe them away.

Dan was sitting at the opposite end of the park when he heard the sounds of sobbing and of Nate calling Arissa. He spun around and saw said girl walking along a remote path on her way home. He stood to go after her, but Nate beat him to it. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around.

"Are you okay?" was the only thing he managed to say.

Arissa laughed bitterly. "Am I okay? Am I okay? Is that all you can say to me? Did you _see_ what they did to me? Do you _think_ I'm okay?"

Dan squinted to see what Arissa meant and was shocked to see her long hair reduced to an uneven mess down to her shoulders.

"Look, I know what Blair did was wrong. I'm sorry. I don't know what she was thinking." Nate said hastily.

"_She _isn't the one I care about. At least I already _knew_ she was a bitch." Arissa said with gritted teeth.

"What do you mean?" Nate asked, confused.

"The only thing Blair is guilty of is being manipulative. She didn't want to do the dirty work, so she convinced someone to do it for her." Arissa hissed.

"Oh, you mean—." Nate began, but was cut off by Arissa.

"_Don't_ say her name. I never want to deal with her again, and with any luck I won't have to."

"What are you talking about?" Nate demanded. "You go to the same school as her."

"Not anymore." Arissa said. Nate's eyes widened to ask to question Arissa was unwilling to answer.

"He wants to see me." she said. "My cousin told me right before I came. He's been asking for his sister."

"You mean…?"

Arissa nodded. "I'm leaving tonight." she said quietly.

By this point Dan was unable to hear what Nate and Arissa were saying. But he was too ashamed to get any closer after how he had let her down.

"Are you…are you ever coming back?" Nate asked.

Arissa looked up at him. "I don't know." she said. "Thing's are going to change for me, and I don't know what to do."

"Just do whatever you want." Nate answered.

So she decided to see what she wanted.

She put an arm tenderly around his neck and pulled his head down. She kissed him lightly on the lips, and he responded just as tenderly. But she pulled away before long: she hadn't felt any excitement or joy in the kiss. Nate just wasn't for her.

"Goodbye." she said. She left him standing there, speechless.

………………………….

Dan clenched and unclenched his fists as he walked home. This was his fault. If he had just sucked it up and gone with Arissa to the party, she never would have run out crying. She never would have kissed Nate. She might have kissed _him_.

He looked at his phone, and his face fell even more: he had forgotten to turn the sound on. there were about 15 texts from Arissa. He looked at a few, but his heart hurt too much to continue.

**Hey, D! the party, where r u?**

**R u close?**

**Plz come soon, I'm all alone!**

**R u coming soon?**

**Dan, where r u?**

He shut off his phone, disgusted with himself. He slammed the door of his house, and saw Jenny lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"And how was your night?" he asked testily.

Jenny didn't look at him. "Um, fine." she lied.

"Well I'm glad _one_ of us had fun." he muttered and slammed the door to his room.

………………………………………

Arissa stood at the train station with two of her suitcases. Her cousin had the other two, and was beside her.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. Last night, he had evened out what remained of her chopped off hair while she sobbed some more. She had told him the whole story.

Arissa nodded weakly. She planned to keep her hair short, as a reminder of what kind of people Upper East Siders were.

_**We're not ALL bad, A. Oh, who am I kidding? But you know you love us!**_

Arissa kept checking her phone. She had called Dan to say goodbye. But he hadn't returned her call. This was why she was hesitant to get on the train. Dan had meant a lot to her, and getting on the train would mean leaving all of that behind.

"Arissa," Scotty said softly, "you have to go."

"Okay." Arissa said.

She hugged her cousin and whispered "I love you" to him.

"You think you'll come back?" Scotty asked. "I like having you around."

Arissa thought about everything that had been done to her. About Blair and Jenny and Nate and Chuck. Then she thought about Dan. She had really liked being friends with him, but he had abandoned her at the party.

She thought about her life would be once she got back to Boston. To her brother. to her home. And she thought once more about the Upper East Side, and how it was teeming with opportunities to redeem herself.

And then it hit her. _That's_ what she wanted. _That's_ what she would work for. Revenge.

She turned to Scotty. "Don't worry. I'll be back."

With one final glance around her, she stepped onto the train and off to a new beginning.

…………………………

Dan woke up at noon the next day. At first his memory was fuzzy and he couldn't remember what had happened the night before. Then it came crashing down on him.

_Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt._

His emotions were in a turmoil: guilt, anger, sadness, regret. Each one came upon him like a tidal wave.

_Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt._

How could he have been so stupid? He liked Arissa. A lot. Maybe even loved. How could he let her walk away from him?

_Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt._

Not anymore. He was going to go after her. To tell her how he felt, and make things right…

_Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt._

…just after he found out where that annoying buzzing sound was coming from.

He looked on his desk and saw his phone vibrating. He grabbed it and flipped it open: he had a new voicemail. He sighed and held the phone to his ear to hear the message.

_Hey, Dan, it's Arissa. I don't know where you were last night, but things didn't go so well…You should have been there. Why weren't you? You promised, and I thought friends kept promises._

_I'm calling you to tell you that I'm leaving. My brother wants to see me, and frankly I'm tired of trying to fit in here. I don't know if I'll ever come back. My train leaves at 11:30. If you get this before then, call me. If not, don't bother. I'm leaving New York behind me, and that includes you._

_I had fun this past week Dan, and I thought you were different. I guess I was wrong. Either way, I thought you ought to hear from me that I'm leaving. So unless I hear from you, this is goodbye._

Dan's heart sank. She was gone. Forever.

_**Don't be so sure about that.**_

…………………………..

**hey people!**

**For those of you who didn't attend, Bass' party was great. And there's a whole bunch of fresh stories to go around:**

**Looks like little J's more desperate than we thought to win B's approval. Her little stunt at C's party could do just that….or backfire. We'll just have to wait and see.**

**A's hasty exit last night might have saved her (and what's left of her hair) from public humiliation (and J's scissors), but being out of sight is not the same as being out of mind, and people are sure to talk….**

**N and D seem a little distraught about A. Wonder how B and J are taking it….**

**sightings:**

**D getting drunk in some back ally bar. Never thought of him as someone to handle grief with beer, but to each his own! B shopping, and arguing on the phone with someone about the party…A….nowhere. Has B finally won in her quest to rid the social scene of A? Feeling threatened, perhaps?**

**your e-mail:**

**Dear gossip girl,**

**I was at Chuck's party, and I swear I saw you! You were in the corner, watching all the action from afar, right? Ha! Now I know who you are!**

**SlySpyGuy**

**Dear SSG,**

**Honestly, do you think I would be in the corner at a party? Sorry to disappoint, but whoever you saw clearly wasn't me. **

**gossip girl**

**Dear gossip girl,**

**I was at the train station, and I saw a girl with short brown hair getting on the rain and smirking to herself. When the train was leaving she threw her phone out the window. WTF? Who throws out a phone? Mine is, like, my child! Any ideas?**

**Phoneaholic**

**Dear Phone,**

**Maybe she didn't need her phone because she has no friends. It's would be kind of depressing to own something for people to call you on if it was always silent. But who knows? She could have been looking for an excuse to upgrade.**

**gossip girl**

**Well, I'm late for my 2 o'clock mani/pedi. But it was worth it to keep you informed on all the scandals and stories!**

**you know you love me**

**gossip girl**


End file.
